Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-01

80
horses could be fixed up in these parts.
It's first-rate idea, that corner busl-
ness. It's honest, too, according to
James. James says every body in
New York consideres it honest" Then
aloud. Sammy, what was it your
mother wanted?" ...z: 3 ".
kerosene. suppose Peleg's got
some. He only gets q barrel at time;
but IL amt likely he'd let himself get
out of it,, u 5;s.... s...s@..-.. =.
Ichabod had an idea. He pulled up
the mare to q walk, and looked at the
sun and mountain ridge, and hereby
knew that it lacked twenty minutes
and more OF being noon; and he knew
also that as regularly as the
sun swung over that peak at mid
day, just SO regularly would
Peleg leave his store and 60 to his
house q quarter mile down theroad for
dinner. Then he stopped awhile, and
when the mare grew FESTIVE he let her
go, walking slowly, and so, stopping
and walking, when he came in sight
OF the store he saw Peleg's hugh form
coming out and going towards his
house. Then he drove on, hitched
his horse under the store shed, threw
q blanket over her, went in and found
Georee. the clerk in the store.
"Got any kerosene, George?"
eyes, plenty"
"How much is plenty?" and he
walked around the counter with
George and into the Darkroom where
oils and hams and like merchandise
were kept. GaOrge was not brilliant
boy, but quite bright en- ougll for an hon.
est lot OF customers. Peleg would not
havesold out to any one hisentire stock
OF q useful article, likely to be in daily
demand. But George did not look so
far ahead. There was about u half
barrel OF the fluid on hand, and Icha-
bod, aided by Sam, hurriedly helped
George draw it of, gallon by gallon,
and pour it in another barrel, paid
cash for it, got the, barrel into the
cutter, and in four minutes rolled the
barrel out into the snow a. mile from
the village toward the farm. Then
they turned the mare and in five min
utes more were at Peleg's door, shout
ing till Peleg came out.
Now, without knowing the two men,
and the ways of up-country men in
general, you can hardly Appreciate the
manner in which Ichabod handled hon.
est old Peleg, and brought about
the bargain then made. He began:
II say, Peleg, ii you pretend TO keep
a store, you ought to keep what peo-
pie want. Here I've got to drive fiji
teen miles this cold afternoon to the
nearest store there is to get some ker.
osene, jest because you ain'tgot any"
IL haven't got any? I've got plenty.
How much do you want?" II want
four gallons, and George says there
isn't pint left in your store, and I'd
rather give $40 than go to Railtown,
with this rheumatic in my back It's
time you knew how to keep storefor
country like this. You make money
enough to accommodate people," and
he poured forth TRADE OF abuse. Pc.
leg, usually calm, became excited. He
declared over and over again that
there was plenty of kerosene at the
store, and 1chabod denied it and re.
fused to 60 back with him.
put up your money on it ify you
dare" said Ichabod. arts worth
twenty dollars, making me go to Rail
Town Such a Gay.
81 don't bet, said Peleg, *:as you
know very we'll, Ichabod; but if you'll
60 back to the store and l don't fur
nish you with four gallons of kerosene
I'll give you twenty dollars to hire
any one to go to Railtown and buy
all that'll buy" Nov, Peleg, don't
want talk. Here's your money, for
the four gallons. That's business.
Call out Sarah for a. witness. (Sarah
Rowland was Peleg's sister.) See
here, Sarah, Peleg has sold me four
gallons Of kerosene and I've paid for
it, and it's to be delivered to me at
the store right off, and if Peleg don't
deliver it he's to give me twenty dol
lars. That's what he and I agree it's
worth to me to send to Railtown to-
day for it, like enough kill horse,
anyhow as damage to me; and Peleg,
you out with your twenty dollars and
put it in Sammy's hands here to car
ry till we get back to the store. I
amt going to have no lawsuit about
it. Business is business"
Peleg Rowland knew Ichabod Bailey
thoroughly, and ought to have sus-
pected something wrong. But he was
nettled at the slur on his store, which
had been his pride for forty years. He
put two ten-dollar bills into Sans
hands, pocketed Ichabod's pay for
the fluid, got his hat and coat and the
three drove to the store.
Ichabod and Sam sat in the sleigh,
while Peleg went in. There were
dozen of the neighbours, we'll filled with
their dinners, who had dropped in for
the customary chat before the after
noon work. They heard the CONVEX
sation OF Pelee and George, and slow
ly, but with final clearness, one and
another came to understand the stu
alton. "Hurry up with your kero.
sene," called Ichabod from the out
side. Peleg stepped to the door, and
opening it, said quietly; II haven't
got any kerosene, Ichabod." II told
you So" was the reply, as the mare
started forward, taking Ichabod and
Sam and the twenty dollars. There
was howl and q rush out to the
road. ''Let him alone" begged Peleg;
"he's an old man. Don't hurt
him." The air was full of missiles,
Jumps OF frozen snow, only one OF
which reached the cutter, and struck
Sammy on the back of the neck.
lchabod looked at the sun. "Twen-
ty dollars in two hours. Corners
are business and no mistake; and
James says dishonest business, too"
There is no space here for the, his.
tory Of all that followed this first in
PRODUCTION of the morals of the city
into up-country trade. 1t was an in
structive history. The simple people,
schooled in the principle of honor and
morality of the fathers, could never
be persuaded to look with any lenien-
5cy on what they call cheating, swind-